Hip pain

Hip pain can limit walking, stairs, sleep, and sport. Some people feel it deep in the groin, while others notice pain at the outer hip, buttock, or the front of the thigh. Because several structures can refer pain to the same area, a clear assessment matters.

A physiotherapist can check your hip joint, surrounding muscles and tendons, and movement patterns to work out what is driving your symptoms. From there, they can build a plan that suits your goals, your work demands, and your training load.

Start by exploring common causes such as hip arthritis and outer-hip conditions like greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS). If pain spreads or overlaps with groin symptoms, the groin pain hub can also help you narrow down likely sources.

Common hip pain symptoms

Hip pain can present in different ways. Noticing the pattern often helps narrow down the likely source.

• Groin pain or a deep ache at the front of the hip
• Outer hip pain that worsens when lying on that side
• Buttock pain, stiffness, or reduced stride length
• Clicking, catching, or a “pinching” feeling during hip flexion
• Pain with running, squats, stairs, or getting out of the car

If you have severe pain after a fall, cannot weight-bear, or you feel unwell with a hot, swollen joint, seek urgent medical care.

What causes hip pain?

Hip pain may start from the joint, a tendon, a bursa, a muscle strain, or nearby areas such as the lower back. Many people have more than one contributing factor, such as reduced hip strength plus increased training load or prolonged sitting.

Hip arthritis

Hip arthritis often causes groin or front-of-hip pain, morning stiffness, and discomfort after longer walks. Treatment commonly focuses on education, progressive strengthening, and improving day-to-day tolerance. When symptoms persist, your physiotherapist can discuss medical review options and help you prepare for, or recover from, surgery when appropriate.

• Understanding hip arthritis: signs, movement changes, and what typically helps.
• Hip replacement rehabilitation: what to expect after surgery and how physiotherapy supports recovery.

Trochanteric bursitis and GTPS

Outer hip pain often sits under the GTPS umbrella. People commonly notice pain when lying on the affected side, climbing stairs, or after longer walks. While the term “bursitis” is widely used, gluteal tendon irritation and reduced hip load capacity can play a big role.

• Trochanteric bursitis: symptoms and common triggers.
• GTPS explained: why lateral hip pain flares and how to manage it.
• Gluteal tendinopathy: common tendon source of lateral hip pain.
• Bursitis treatment: practical strategies to settle irritated tissue.

Sporting hip issues

Sport-related hip pain often involves load spikes, sprinting, kicking, deep squats, or change-of-direction work. Common issues include hip flexor strains, groin-related pain, femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS), and labral injuries. A clear diagnosis helps you choose the right training modifications and rehab progressions.

• Hip labral tear: symptoms, diagnosis, and rehab priorities.
• Hip flexor pain: common causes and treatment options.
• FAIS: how hip shape, load, and movement patterns can influence symptoms.

How a physiotherapist assesses hip pain

Assessment usually starts with a clear history: where the pain sits, what brings it on, and what helps. Next, your physiotherapist will look at your hip range of motion, strength (especially glutes and hip rotators), balance control, and how you move during tasks such as squats, stairs, and gait.

In many cases, your physio will also screen nearby areas that commonly refer pain into the hip, including the lower back, pelvis, and groin. This matters because treating the wrong driver can stall progress.

Diagnosis and scans

Not everyone needs imaging. Your physiotherapist may recommend a GP review if symptoms do not improve with appropriate care, if there are red flags, or if the diagnosis remains unclear. Imaging can sometimes help rule in or rule out specific conditions, but results need to match your symptoms and exam findings.

For a plain-language overview of common causes of hip pain and when medical review may help, see this Australian resource: Healthdirect – hip pain.

Physiotherapy treatment options

Most hip pain plans combine a few key elements. The mix depends on whether your pain comes from the joint, tendon, bursa, muscle strain, or referred sources.

1) Settle the irritability

Early on, your physio may recommend short-term load changes, such as reducing hills, deep hip flexion, sprinting, or side-lying pressure. This does not mean stopping all activity. Instead, it means keeping you moving while symptoms settle.

2) Build strength and capacity

Progressive strengthening often targets glutes, hip rotators, and trunk control. For many people, better hip capacity reduces flare-ups and improves walking, stairs, and sport tolerance. Your physio will match the plan to your current tolerance and then progress it step-by-step.

3) Improve mobility and movement patterns

Some people benefit from improving hip mobility, joint control, and technique changes for lifting, squatting, running, or kicking. Manual therapy may help some individuals in the short term, but it usually works best when paired with active rehab.

4) Return to sport or higher demand work

If you play sport or have a physical job, your physio can plan graded exposure back to running, cutting, jumping, or prolonged standing. Clear criteria-based progressions reduce the risk of repeated flare-ups.

If muscle tension or recovery is also a factor, you can combine care with massage therapy. For longer-term conditioning, exercise physiology may also support strength, fitness, and sustainable load management.

What to do next

If hip pain is stopping you from walking comfortably, training, or sleeping well, book an assessment and get a clear plan. Bring a short list of what aggravates your symptoms and what goals matter most (work, sport, stairs, sleep, or daily comfort). Your physiotherapist can then tailor treatment to the driver of your pain and your preferred timeline.

If you want to book now, use our PhysioWorks online booking page.

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Follow PhysioWorks on social media for simple hip-friendly tips, warm-ups, strength ideas, and practical ways to manage training load and recovery.

References

1. Gibbs AJ, Wright AA, Zadro JR, et al. Recommendations for the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37394226/
2. Pasculli RM, Kunze KN, Nwachukwu BU. Non-operative management and outcomes of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37650998/
3. Disantis A, Andrade AJ, Baillou A, et al. The 2022 International Society for Hip Preservation (ISHA) physiotherapy agreement on assessment and treatment of greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS): an international consensus statement. J Hip Preserv Surg. 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37275836/
4. Koc TA Jr, et al. Hip pain and mobility deficits—hip osteoarthritis: revision 2025. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41165671/